Master of Monsters

As I write this, I am still deep into my new 3DS handheld. My current obsession is Fire Emblem: Awakening, which I will be sure to post about later. Instead, I was reminded of a game much like Fire Emblem that came out decades ago. Much like Fire Emblem, the game was based off of unit management and battlefield placement. The game? Master of Monsters for the Sega Genesis.

Though I grew up a Nintendo kid, I did manage to play the Sega Genesis from time to time. My cousins had one, and preferred games like Phantasy Star over more action oriented games. This is where I was introduced to Master of Monsters as a child. Thinking back, I’m sure I was terrible at the game but enjoyed playing it regardless. This turn-based game had players choose a wizard, summon units and command them against other wizards. Using a hexagonal grid, players would move their monsters like chess pieces and have them attack opposing monsters, eventually attacking and killing the enemy wizard. Like in Fire Emblem, battle would cut into a battle screen where you could see the units attacking each other. As monsters won battles, they would gain experience and change into a stronger form.

Asides from the obvious hit of nostalgia, I remember genuine joy playing this with my cousin. I don’t remember if we played against the computer or each other more, but the fact that I don’t remember winning or losing at the game really shows how much fun I had as a child. Ingrained in my brain is the memory of our childish rhymes to the game's music, which I remember vividly over two decades later. With incredible games from the Fire Emblem franchise being released, it’s clear that the system has evolved since Master of Monster’s release in 1991 (1989 in Japan). Still, I was going to play the game again for this post to see if it held up, but the browser version didn't work. All the better, as Master of Monsters can never live up to my memories of it.